Far Away From Home
by Mavennica
Summary: How will Artie and Claudia fare when an old foe comes back to haunt them?
1. Chapter 1

"You wanted to see me, Arthur?"

Artie, leaning over an ancient scroll, looked up and smiled. "Yes, Mrs. Frederic, I did. Won't you sit down?"

She remained standing. "I haven't got all day. What was so important that you summoned me all the way from Belgium?"

Artie steeled his courage. "I asked Claudia to marry me." An unreadable look passed over Mrs. Frederic's face, but it happened so fast Artie wasn't entirely sure it had happened at all.

"Arthur, you knew that was forbidden. Claudia is next in line to be the Warehouse caretaker."

Artie tapped a thick finger on the ancient scroll he had been studying earlier. "But it wasn't always that way, was it?"

Mrs. Frederic stepped forward menacingly, her eyes glaring furiously. Artie jumped back, unprepared for the sudden vehemence of her glare. "Agent Nielson, all that matters is that it's forbidden now. I suggest you put that scroll away and be grateful that I have permitted your dalliance with Miss Donovan to occur at all." Mrs. Frederic paused and stepped back, her composure resettling upon her. "Now," she said, her tone back to a very controlled normal, "if you will excuse me, Arthur, I have to return to an important meeting." She turned and walked away.

Over the years, Artie had begun to count Mrs. Frederic as one of his friends, or at least a very close acquaintance, so he had no wish to hurt her, but for the sake of his and Claudia's future together, he had no choice. Artie composed himself and picked up the ancient scroll he had been studying. In a clear voice, he asked, "Who was Alexander Frederic?"

Mrs. Frederic stopped, stunned by his tenacity. She had not anticipated Artie's question, nor allowed herself to think about Alexander Frederic in a long time, so she took a moment to compose herself before she sighed and turned around. "Take a seat, Arthur." Artie found the nearest chair, his attention focused on the ebony woman walking towards him.

Mrs. Frederic clasped her hands together, clamping down on all the emotions that threatened to rupture her cool facade. "Alexander Frederic was my husband. He and I were married years before I inherited the Warehouse from Evelyn Turner. He was my One." A soft look spread over her face, her features uncomfortable with such a pose.

Artie almost hated himself for having to break her out of such a tender reverie, but he had to guide her memories if he and Claudia were to have a chance. "What happened to him?"

Mrs. Frederic did something she seldom, if ever, did: she pulled up a chair and sat down beside Artie. She sighed once more. "I killed him."

That wasn't quite the answer Artie was expecting. He sat back, stunned. After a moment, Artie sat up and did something that he seldom, if ever, did: he placed his hand on Mrs. Frederic's to comfort her. She looked up, startled, but she accepted his comfort as it was offered, in friendship. She smiled sadly. "It was an accident. I had just been attuned to the Warehouse's defenses but didn't have complete control. When he startled me with a kiss one morning, I turned on him, and it was all over in a flash, literally." She paused to gain her composure. "The Regents gave me another opportunity because I was so new, allowed me to have another One, but I could never take that chance." She looked at Artie, deep sorrow in her eyes. "The ban isn't to protect Claudia, it's to protect you."

Artie squeezed her hand. "Mrs. Frederic, please. Claudia means more to me than anyone ever has, and I desperately want to share my life with her as her husband. I'm willing to take that chance."

Mrs. Frederic shook her head. "Arthur, if something happens and she hurts or even kills you, she will never forgive herself. Do you really want her to live with that for a millennium?"

Artie put his other hand over hers. "Were there no good times, Mrs. Frederic? Would you rather you never married Alexander at all?" She looked into Artie's eyes, at how he implored her to let Claudia and him have this, to let them be together as husband and wife. Mrs. Frederic smiled, knowing full well what Alexander would have told her at this moment. _C'mon, Irene, why the hell not? Just because something bad happened to us doesn't mean it will happen to them. Let them be happy._

Mrs. Frederic patted Artie's hand and smiled. "Alright, I'll allow it. Just be careful, Arthur. No replacement has surfaced for you."

Claudia, Myka, and Pete were at Bells and Bows, Univille's only wedding boutique. Myka thought back to how much it had hurt when she found out Artie and Claudia were getting married, but even she had to admit that them being together had a _rightness_ to it. She never said a word, not a whisper, about how she felt, and eventually Claudia's enthusiasm and joy were contagious enough for even Myka to be happy for them.

She was shaken back to the present when Pete impatiently banged on the changing room door. "Come on, Claud, let's see how it looks!"

"But I hate pink!" Claudia wailed.

"Well you can't wear a white one!" Pete shot back.

Myka laughed behind her hand. She knew nothing about weddings, had not the first clue, but Pete had helped his sister with hers, so he had volunteered himself as Claudia's wedding planner.

Claudia's voice was muffled through the door. "And why the hell not?"

"Because white's for virgins," Pete snarked mercilessly.

After an indignant roar from Claudia, the changing room door burst open and she came out in pink ball gown with bows and ruffles everywhere. She marched up to Pete and punched him on the shoulder. "At least I'm getting some!"

Myka jumped up when she saw that Claudia had hit a nerve. Pete's face was red, and he was moving his mouth like a fish. "Okay, guys, let's just relax a little bit here, shall we?" She stepped between them and broke into mediator mode. "Pete, you want Claudia to wear something beautiful, right?"

Pete took a deep breath, his face returning to its normal shade. "Yes. The bride is the centerpiece of the wedding party, so she has to look her best."

Myka turned to Claudia, who had just begun to protest how much she hated pink. "Claudia, you want to look beautiful, just not in pink, correct?"

Claudia nodded. "I don't want to be a decoration at my own wedding. I want to look nice but not like a cake topper."

"The cake!" Pete shouted, looking down at his watch. "We're due at Cake-alicious in twenty minutes! We have to get this dress off you."

Claudia raised an eyebrow in disbelief as Pete shuffled her towards the changing room. "Is that seriously the name of the cake place?"

Myka laughed to herself, shaking her head. _This wedding is gonna be wild_.


	2. Chapter 2

Claudia was asleep in her room at Leena's. She and Artie had begun the process of moving themselves to a larger double room, and she was so exhausted after a day of sorting through her belongings and tossing out what she didn't want that she decided to take a short nap.

It was dark when she woke up. _Crap, how long did I sleep? _Claudia had already packed her alarm clock, so she had to dig around for her cellphone. _Two-thirty in the freaking morning? _"Why didn't somebody wake me up?" she mumbled to herself.

"I put them all to bed early so we could have some time to ourselves."

Claudia leaped out of bed and drew her Tesla at the sound of the somewhat familiar male voice. She began slowly inching her way to her bedroom door, constantly sweeping back and forth for signs of the intruder. "Show yourself!"

The soft glow from the dusk-to-dawn light outside wafted through the windows, forming an incoherent mist in the middle of Claudia's room. Before her disbelieving eyes, the mist coalesced into the form of an older man, quite thin, with a nasty grin that turned his once-handsome features cruel. "I'm afraid your Tesla will do me no harm, Claudia, but it will leave a frightful mark on Leena's outdated wallpaper."

Claudia lowered her weapon and gulped. In the middle of her room stood the ghostly image of James MacPhearson.

Artie tossed and turned, his sleep restless. He had been having bad dreams, old memories resurfacing to haunt him. Images of Carol cycled in and out with images of Claudia, the two eventually becoming one and screaming as they burned alive. Artie tried to wake up, to pull himself away from this awful vision, but it was no use. He was stuck listening to the death wails of his beloveds, past and present, their voices going higher and higher in pitch until he could take no more. Artie looked around the ground for a stone, and finding a good-sized one, he raised it up and dropped it painfully on his foot.

The pain did its job. He was violently thrown out of the dream, thrashing so wildly he rolled off the bed and slammed onto the floor. Groaning as he got to his knees, he leaned onto the bed for support and stood. _What the hell was that all about? _he wondered, trying to think of why in the world he would dream such a thing. _I didn't eat THAT many oatmeal scotchies..._

He immediately turned around and sat on the bed as he felt his legs weaken and his knees buckle. Artie's awareness got fuzzy around the edges as he felt exhaustion return to him. _Maybe I should lay back down..._

Artie got back under the covers and laid his head on the pillow. Sleep overtook him almost instantly.

Pete jerked wide awake. Something was wrong, and he was vibing like crazy. He struggled to remember what was happening that woke him up.

_God, it was some awful dream. _Myka had been running towards him, shouting for his help, When he tried to go to her, his feet had sunk into the ground. He pulled one foot up out of the cloying mud and stepped forward only to sink back into the ground. His other foot fared no better, and the more he struggled to get to Myka the stronger the mud got, eventually sinking him up to his knees. _Bad dreams don't normally vibe me out like that. I guess there's a first time for everything. _

Beside him, Myka whimpered and kicked in her sleep. Pete wasn't sure what she was dreaming, but from the words she spoke it was another nightmare about trying to save Sam. He rolled over and pulled Myka to him, murmuring softy in her ear and stroking her cheek until she calmed down and relaxed against him, her back molding to his chest. When her breathing evened out, Pete buried his face in her sweet-smelling hair and fell back to sleep.

Leena sat up in bed, wide awake. Her room was full of a misty fog, and she could tell that the aura of the building itself was off. _Someone is here who shouldn't be..._

She grabbed her housecoat as she got out of bed, resisting the urge to fall back to sleep. Her pillow was so inviting, and she was so very tired, but Leena could recognize when someone was projecting a sleep aura. "Once resisted, never persisted," she said, and the supernatural tiredness that had crept into her very bones suddenly left her. She smiled to herself and stepped out into the hall.

The strange mist was everywhere, so thick that she couldn't see the bottom of the stairs from the top. Leena went from room to room, checking to see if everyone was alright. Artie's aura told her he was trapped in a nightmare that would only dissipate once the sleep aura did, and Pete's and Myka's auras had joined together in order to protect one another. _That just leaves..._

Claudia's terrified screams tore through the air, shredding the sleep aura.

"I am bound to Arthur because of the Phoenix. Now that you two are 'engaged,'" he said snidely, using his fingers to make quotation marks in the air, "I am somewhat bound to you as well."

"What do you...how is this...I don't..."

"Not very articulate, are you? Though I imagine your vocabulary isn't the reason Arthur is besotted with you," the ghostly image smirked.

Claudia felt herself blush in angered embarrassment. "It's not just all that, you know."

"Oh it isn't? Would your precious Arthur still love you as much if you weren't so pretty a prize?"

His words had their intended effect. Claudia stepped forward, enraged at having this monster question Artie's integrity. "Artie is the most non-shallow person I have ever known. It wouldn't matter what age I was, what size I was, or how I looked. Artie would love me no matter what!"

MacPhearson moved closer to her. "Are you so sure about that?" he whispered, craning his head down to her level.

Claudia glared up at him, anger winning out over common sense. "Absolutely," she hissed.

A predatory smile spread over his cruel face. "Let's find out, then, shall we?"

Before Claudia could move out of the way, MacPhearson stepped into her body, his essence taking over. He bent Claudia's fingers into claws and began scratching her face, her neck, her chest, her stomach, her thighs, her legs, ripping her clothing away in rags. Her soft skin had no defense against her strong fingernails, and the results were devastating. Claudia scratched and clawed herself everywhere, gauging at her face and neck. Blood ran down her body and served only to lubricate her fingernails, changing them from scratching implements to sharp knives, slicing her flesh everywhere she could reach. Claudia heard a strange sound, a sort of high-pitched keening, and it took a moment for her to realize that the sound was her screams erupting from her throat.

The attack suddenly stopped, leaving Claudia in a heap on the floor. MacPhearson pulled away from her and leaned down to hiss in her bloodied ear, "This is a test for both you and Arthur. Your choice to bond with him has changed many things, and it must be ascertained how deep your connection lies."

The door to Claudia's bedroom flew open, and Leena stepped in. She walked between Claudia and MacPhearson. "Leave, James. You are not welcome here."

MacPhearson snarled at the dark-haired woman. "What are you going to do, aura me to death?"

Leena concentrated and pushed her awareness forward. "You are not protected from me by being tied to a physical body. I can sever your energy from your consciousness and leave your spirit dead."

An evil smile spread over MacPhearson's face. "Just remember that betraying those you love wasn't all I made you do when I had you with the Pearl."

Leena nearly gagged, the memory of his touch making her feel sick. "Get out, James."

MacPhearson slowly disappeared, his laughter the last thing to go.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** The relationship between Yahweh, Asherah, and the ancient Hebrews is historically accurate, but I made up everything regarding the tree.

Leena knelt down, trying to see what MacPhearson had done to her. "Claudia," she crooned, using as soft a tone as she possibly could, "I need to see how badly you're hurt."

When she gently touched Claudia's bare shoulder, the young woman jerked back violently. She glared at Leena and bared her teeth, looking positively feral. Leena, puzzled by an aura she had never seen from Claudia, went toward the young woman to comfort her and find out what exactly happened.

"Leena, stop. She might try to kill you if you touch her again."

She looked up into Artie's eyes, their normal shade of brown made darker by worry. "Artie, MacPhearson did something to her." Artie bent over to look at Claudia's wounds, fighting the urge to vomit at all the blood as the young woman slipped into unconsciousness.

Leena gasped; Artie's aura began to radiate pure hatred like she had never felt from him. It filled the whole room and made her throat feel greasy. She swallowed hard, a metallic taste in the back of her mouth. "Artie," she choked out, "what is it?"

Pete and Myka stepped into the room, and Pete immediately pressed himself against the far wall. "Oh God, this is bad." Myka shot him a questioning eyebrow. _Bad, as in really bad?_ Pete pressed his lips together tightly and gave her a small nod. _Really really bad_. Myka took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

Artie locked eyes with Pete, and the younger agent pressed himself as far back against the wall as he possibly could when Artie began walking toward him. "You have no idea, Pete, no idea at all," Artie said, his voice low and smooth, dripping with venom. Myka cringed when Artie's malevolent gaze fell on her. "You and Pete go check the tree out by the sign in the yard and see if any branches have been removed." He turned back and knelt down in front of Claudia.

Myka's inquisitive mind got the best of her. Before she could even think, she cocked her head to the side and asked, "What does the tree have anything to-"

_"Just go check the damned tree!" _Artie roared, whirling around and looking for all the world like he was going to fly at Pete and Myka and flay them alive. The two agents fled, grateful to be anywhere that didn't involve Artie being so scary.

*******************************************************************************************************************************************************

"What does Artie think is so special about this tree?" Myka wondered out loud, wracking her brain to figure it out.

Pete kicked leaves on the ground, pouting about Artie yelling at them. "I don't know, but we better find out quick or he's gonna bronze us and play Justin Bieber for a week."

Myka shot him a withering look. "Pete, be serious for just a moment, will you? The sooner we get this done, the sooner we can go back inside." She walked to the other side of the tree, using a flashlight to peer up into its leafy darkness. After a moment Pete brought out his own flashlight and helped Myka look for anything missing on the tree.

They had been checking the tree in silence for nearly an hour when Pete spoke. "I'm not sorry he didn't pick you."

Myka stopped, unsure if she had heard Pete correctly. She moved her light from the tree to where she had heard him speak. "What did you just say?"

Pete was still circling the tree, his light pointed at the branches above him. "I said, I'm not sorry he didn't pick you."

Eyes wide with surprise and hurt, Myka found herself unable to speak for a moment. She finally cleared her throat and asked in a small voice, "What's that supposed to mean?"

Pete looked her up and down, taking her in: tousled curls, white satin robe over blue satin pajamas, fluffy pink bunny slippers. He gave her a sad smile that pulled at her heart, because she knew quite well how it felt. "You are so wonderful that if Artie can't see it, he doesn't deserve to have you."

Myka nearly went to him, but memory pierced her heart with an icy drop of venom, flooding her with bitterness. She felt like such a fool, sleeping with him without ever _sleeping_ with him, feeling safe in his embrace, only to remember the passion with which he had pursued other women that he had never shown her. "Were you thinking that before or after you fucked Kelly in every room?" She felt a twisted sense of satisfaction when Pete flinched as if she'd slapped him.

She advanced on him, shining the light in his face so he had to look away. "I saw how you pursued her, how you lusted after her, the sounds you two would make in the morning before everyone else was up. I remember the passion you lavished on her, how you loved her so much that she was your one," Myka spat, giving full voice to all the built-up envy and pain. "Of course Artie wouldn't pick me," she laughed, a sound so full of harsh self-recrimination that Pete cringed. "How could he, when I was beneath the notice of even horn-dog Pete Lattimer?"

Pete was stunned. _Is that how she really thinks I see her?_ He stepped forward only to be blinded by Myka's flashlight again. "Would you put that damn thing down?" After a moment Myka lowered the beam.

"I never 'pursued' you," he said, "because I didn't want to hurt you."

Myka scoffed. "Oh how noble of you, Pete." She spread her arms wide. "See how whole and unbroken I am." Her voice rose in mock triumph. "Look at how undamaged I've become from you falling in love with Kelly and leaving me in the dust." She advanced on him, her eyes flashing in anger. "Look at how flawless I am from twisting my unwanted love for you into even more unwanted love for Artie." She stood in front of Pete, her nose almost touching his. "Don't give me this bullshit line of pity that you were trying to protect me, because you did a piss-poor job of it."

She backed away and raised her flashlight. "Now, if you're glad Artie didn't pick me because you wanted to, if you wanted us to go beyond sleep, then we have things to discuss. Otherwise shut the fuck up and let me do my job." Myka walked away from him and pointed her flashlight upwards, resuming the search for missing branches.

Myka turned when she heard Pete's rapidly approaching footsteps. He said nothing as he spun her around and slammed her backwards, pinning her to the trunk of the tree. She opened her mouth to yell at him when Pete kissed her, silencing any objection she had. Myka's arms wrapped around Pete and pulled him to her, kissing him back for all she was worth.

After nearly a minute, Pete pulled away, breathing heavily. He touched his forehead to hers. "Myka, I am an addict." Her heart nearly broke at the torture in his voice. "Inside me is a monster that turns everything he touches into shit. You are so precious, so priceless to me that I never wanted his hands on you."

Myka gazed at him. "I can't stand lies, Pete. I hate them." She placed a hand on the side of his face and smiled. "But I can love monsters."

Pete growled softly and kissed her again, his hands snaking into her robe, mumbling into her mouth about "titons." He pulled her hands up roughly and held them above her head against the tree.

"Ow!"

Pete jerked back, stunned. "Oh my God, Myka, I'm so sorry, I told you I didn't want to hurt you-"

Myka silenced him with a kiss. "You didn't hurt me, Pete. My hands jabbed into something pointy. Here, give me my flashlight."

Up on the tree, almost too small to be seen in the dark, was the sharp jagged remains of a torn branch.

*******************************************************************************************************************************************************************

"Artie, that's enough."

The older man turned his fury on Leena. He rose up from where Claudia lay and advanced towards the dark-haired woman. "Don't you dare tell me what I can and cannot do."

Leena stood her ground. "You know why this happened. It's Capra's Principal: 'After three, the multitude.'"

Artie's rage abated for just an moment. "What?"

That moment was all the time Leena needed. She stepped forward and put her left hand on Artie's chest, instantly grounding out the hateful energy that consumed him. Artie stumbled, gasping, and Leena walked him to a nearby chair so he could sit down before he fell down.

Once she was satisfied he would be okay, Leena turned her attention to Claudia. The young woman was still unconscious, but her wounds had all scabbed over. Leena pulled Claudia up onto her bed and drew back in horror when she her hands lightly grazed across the scabs on her face. _Tree bark?_

"I'm sorry, Leena," Artie said quietly, exhausted by the amount of energy she had to ground out of him. He ran a hand over his face and down his beard. "I'm not quite sure what came over me."

After making sure that Claudia was stable, Leena turned her attention back to Artie. "Surely you must have known this would happen."

Artie shook his head. "It never occurred to me that Capra's Principal would apply." He gazed at Claudia with a mixture of love and guilt. "What two can keep to themselves becomes public knowledge if shared by three." He sighed heavily. "As soon as I bound Claudia to me with the glory blossom, it was only a matter of time before James was strong enough to emerge on his own."

Their attention was drawn away from their mistakes when the downstairs door opened and closed. Pete and Myka came upstairs, whispering and giggling. When they stepped into Claudia's room they fell silent, each one expecting Artie to rage at them.

Artie raised a hand in greeting and was instantly filled with remorse and shame when Pete and Myka flinched. He got up from his chair and stepped towards them. "I'm, uh, I'm sorry, guys. I don't know what came over me."

After an awkward silence, Pete punched Artie lightly in the shoulder. "Hey, no prob, Artie." He fixed the older man with a piercing look. "I know what it's like when someone hurts the one you love." Artie only stared in confusion.

Myka cleared her throat loudly. "We did fine something on the tree, Artie. There's a place about a third of the way up where a small branch was torn from the tree. It juts out pretty sharply." She unconsciously rubbed her wrist.

Artie walked back to his chair and sat down roughly. He groaned, putting his head in his hands. "I was afraid of this." He put his hands behind his head and closed his eyes. "The tree out by the sign isn't just any tree, it's Asherah's tree." When he was met by blank stares, he sighed and began to lecture.

"In the early versions of the Bible, and in many of the apocryphal texts, ancient Hebrews worshiped a god, known as Yahweh, and his wife, a goddess named Asherah. Asherah symbolized wisdom, fierceness, protection, female sexuality, all the things that make a goddess great. When a wave of misogynistic fury swept the land, everything having to do with Asherah was destroyed except for her tree, which is planted outside this very building." Artie paused, momentarily startled that he had everyone's rapt attention. "Legend has it that during Yahweh and Asherah's time, if a man wanted to declare his undying love for a woman, he would kneel beneath the Asherah tree and beg for a sign. If his love was deemed pure the tree would produce an apple that he would share with his beloved, binding them together."

"So that's where the apple in the Garden of Eden story came from."

Artie nodded his approval at Leena. "Exactly. If his love wasn't pure enough, though, the tree would grow a branch for him to tear off which would become whatever was necessary to either purify his love or atone for his love being too weak. If the man used the branch to the satisfaction of Asherah, the tree would drop an apple for the pair to eat, but if the man doubted the purity of his love and wasn't able to redeem himself to the satisfaction of Asherah, the branch would turn on him and make him shred his skin with his own hands."

A terrible realization dawned on Pete, Myka, and Leena as their gazes fell on Claudia.

"James and I are connected, which means he feels what I feel. For the wedding I was going to go to Asherah's tree for Claudia, but James read my mind and beat me to it. When he realized the love he felt wasn't his, the branch turned on him, and he must have found a way to transfer that punishment from himself to her."

For the first time ever, they all heard Artie choke back a sob. "And if I don't find a way to fix this, Claudia will die."


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: The only thing I own is the plot**.

Myka shook her head in confusion. "What do you mean she'll die, Artie? How can superficial cuts kill a person?"

Artie sat down by Claudia and gently touched her face. He brushed his fingertips reverently on her scabs and sighed. "It's already started." He gestured for Pete and Myka to come nearer. "If you look here," he said, pointing to a cut covered in a rough grayish crust, "and here," he said, pointing to another one, "you will see that these aren't really scabs at all."

"What are they, Artie?" Pete asked, his brow wrinkling in concern as he leaned over for a closer look.

"It's tree bark," Leena said, coming to stand at the foot of the bed. "The same kind that covers the Asherah tree." She looked over at Artie, tears beginning to form in her eyes. "How long until we have to plant her?"

Artie gently caressed Claudia's face, lightly stroking her smooth skin and softly touching the tree bark. He took a moment to compose himself. _I have to fix this. I don't have time to cry_. "About a week."

In the room, a mist formed behind them. "You always were an easy mark, Arthur."

The four of them whirled around, not quite believing their ears. Artie stepped out in front of the group. "How could you do this to her?" His voice cracking with emotion, he held out his arms in supplication. "Why?"

MacPhearson grinned. "You know, I asked you the same question when it was Carol's life in question." His face twisted into a cruel sneer. "It's different when it's your loved one's life on the line, isn't it?"

"This is nothing like that!" Artie shouted, his anger boiling over. "Carol was the victim of an accident. Claudia was deliberately attacked."

"Carol, and now Claudia." MacPhearson held his out hands as if to hold a name in each one. "Hmm, you seem to have a thing for C-names," he observed, putting his fingers to his chin in a questioning gesture before pointing his index finger at Artie. "That must be why Myka never made the cut." Pete winced when he saw the wounded look on her face.

"What?" asked Artie, confused beyond measure. "What does Myka have to do with this?"

"You may not realize it, but I am doing you a favor." MacPhearson stepped closer, fixing the older agent with a piercing look. "Something was done for you, Arthur, something painful and brave, and if you had gone to the tree with this debt hanging over your head, no amount of suffering would have dropped you an apple."

Artie stepped forward, refusing to be intimidated by a wisp. "What does any of that have to do with Claudia?"

MacPhearson shrugged. "Nothing." He glanced over Artie's shoulder at the bed. "And everything." The misty figure glided towards the bed. When the other three went to block his way, MacPhearson simply moved through them, becoming more solid once he stood by Claudia's sleeping form. He reached a hand into ther head and squeezed, drawing a guttural scream from the unconscious young woman. Before the others could react, MacPhearson released his hand and withdrew it from Claudia's head. Her body convulsed, and one by one the pieces of tree bark began to fall away.

What was left behind was just as bad. Terrible scars, rough and reddish-black, marred Claudia's skin wherever the bark had touched her. Even though she was unconscious she whimpered with pain, the tree bark taking pieces of her flesh with it as it fell. Before their eyes, Claudia's appearance went from beautiful to grotesque.

Artie looked up at MacPhearson with pure hate. "What kind of monster are you, James, that you would do such a thing?"

MacPhearson slowly turned his head towards Artie. "This is a test for both you and Claudia. Your choice to bond with her has changed many things, and it must be ascertained how deep your connection lies. Basically we need to know if you love her or just love fucking her," he laughed cruelly.

Artie refused to be drawn into MacPhearson's bait, but something the man said caught Artie's attention. "James, you said 'we' need to know. Who else is with you?"

The image smiled as it began to fade. "That's for me to know and you to find out." The last thing they all heard from him was, "Settle your debt before you approach the tree."

Artie, Pete, and Myka were downstairs in the kitchen. Leena had elected to stay upstairs with the still-sleeping Claudia.

Silence passed between the three of them as they ate an early breakfast. Pete was busy being concerned for Myka and glaring daggers at Artie, Artie was busy wondering why Pete was mad and what debt he had to repay, and Myka was busy avoiding their gazes, paying extreme attention to the food on her plate she was stirring around with a fork.

Artie cracked first. He slammed his fist down on the table harder than he had really meant to, causing Myka to drop her fork. "Alright, Pete, what the hell?"

Pete simply stared. "Yes, Artie?"

"What is wrong with you? Why are you so pissed off?"

After a moment, Pete answered, "You made Myka cry."

"What? What are you talking about?" he asked Pete incredulously. "What did I ever do to Myka?"

Pete crossed his arms over his chest. "It's what you didn't do that's the problem."

Artie sat back in confusion. "What do you mean?"

The younger man scoffed. "Are you blind, old man? Did you never see how she looked at you?"

Myka tried to stop him. "Pete, don't-"

Pete shushed her. "When I found Myka that night, she was slumped in a corner of the hallway crying her eyes out, sobbing for all she was worth. When I held her, all she could say was, 'At least he'll be okay.' " Pete glared at Artie hard. "Ring any bells?"

Artie was beyond puzzled. "Pete, I swear I have no idea what on earth you're talking about."

When Pete started to get up, Myka put her hand on his. "It's okay, Pete, I'll tell him." After a moment Pete nodded.

Myka turned to the older man. "You're a good kisser, Artie. You have just the right pressure, and your crooked smile gives the sensation of not just a kiss but a massage of the lips. You pull a girl in tight, holding her hard but gently, and you focus on her so much that she melts in your lap as you run your fingers through her hair and behind her ears, eventually cupping her face. You also like to nip at her bottom lip before you suck it in so she will open her mouth to you, after which you like to dart your tongue in and out quickly before you deepen the kiss." Myka stared down at the fork sinking into her food.

Artie was speechless. Claudia wasn't the kind to kiss and tell, and besides, she would never have picked up on that much detail. No, it took a person with a near-photographic memory to pull out a description like that. "But, but, Myka," he stammered, not sure what to say, "how, uh, how would you, um, know all that?"

Pete got up and put his hands on Myka's shoulders, gently rubbing them. "I'm here, Myks, I'm here." She closed her eyes and grabbed one of his hands gratefully.

"Because, Artie," she said, looking him straight in the eye, "when you were going through Rapture withdrawal, you almost died when you thought that Claudia didn't want to see you because she thought you were a monster and blamed you for what happened." She took a gulp from a glass of ice water. "I put on Harriett Tubman's thimble and changed myself into Claudia so that you could see that she was alive, well, and didn't hate you." She took another shaky drink of water. "I wasn't going to do anything but talk, but before I could move you pulled me in. You kissed me, and since I had desperately wanted it for so long, I kissed you back."

She expected Artie to yell at her, scream, throw things, anything, but he just kept still, watching her. Myka gulped and continued. "Leena caught on quickly to who I was and broke me out of it. I stayed and talked with you until you had fallen asleep thinking that Claudia was safe and sound and didn't hate you." She took another drink of water. "When I heard that you thought Claudia visiting you was a hallucination, I didn't say anything to change that idea. It was simpler that way."

MacPhearson's words came back to Artie. _Something was done for you, Arthur, something painful and brave_. He sighed. _Oh Myka, I am so sorry_.

Before anyone could speak, Myka got up from the table. "And now that I've utterly humiliated myself in front of my partner and my boss," she said bitterly, gathering up her dishes to take to the sink, "I think I'll go back to bed." Pete and Artie watched her walked straight-backed up the stairs and into the hallway. Both of them saw her shake as she entered her room crying.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: The only thing I own is the plot**.

Claudia sat straight up in bed, startling Leena so badly she nearly fell out of her chair. She immediately righted herself and pushed into Claudia's aura to get a reading of where the young woman was in her mind, but before she could establish a solid link, Claudia buried her ruined face in her scarred hands and cried, the sobs shaking her so badly the headboard of her bed rattled against the wall. Leena went to her, offering comfort and solace, but Claudia shrank back.

"Don't touch me, Leena!" she cried, her voice scratchy and rough. Claudia glanced down at her arms and shrieked, holding them away from her as if they were malignant growths. She tore the blankets off her naked body and ran for her full-length mirror. Claudia froze when a monster looked back at her.

"No, no..." she whispered, putting her fingers over her mouth and watching in horror as the creature in the mirror mimicked her. She reached out a hand and touched the reflection, and when the realization hit that this grotesque thing was really her, Claudia fell to her knees, her strength gone. When Leena came over with a blanket to help her up, she didn't protest. Claudia mutely let Leena guide her back to her bed and lay her back down.

"I'm going to get Artie."

Claudia grabbed Leena's sleeve. "Please don't," she begged, fear stabbing through her soul. "I don't want him to see me like this."

"Claudia, he's already seen what you look like." The young woman covered her head in fear and shame.

Leena pulled the blanket away from Claudia's face. "What are you so afraid of?"

Claudia's voice was muffled, having pulled the blanket back over her. "I don't want to see the look of disgust on his face."

"Now, why would Artie be disgusted by you, Claudia? He loves you no matter what you look like."

Pulling the blanket off her face, she glared at Leena. "When people say stuff like that, it means they will love you if you get fat, lose your hair, or get wrinkles." Claudia gazed down at her blanket, grateful that it was covering the rest of her so she wouldn't have to see it. "People don't say that and mean 'I will love you even if you turn into a hideous creature.'"

Leena smiled. "Trust me, Artie doesn't think you are a hideous creature. You're his Claudia, no matter what." She reached out to stroke Claudia's hair, but Claudia shrank back from the her touch again.

Leena pulled back her hand and sighed. _This isn't working. Deep read it is, then_. She concentrated on Claudia and pushed forward, momentarily rendering Claudia unconscious. Leena pushed deeper, going past layer upon layer of guilt and pain, rapidly cycling through Claudia's mind to get to the source of her fear and root it out.

She had been digging for a few minutes and was getting ready to give up when a spectral image of Claudia, healthy and unscarred, appeared and sat down on the bed. The specter looked at the blighted blanket-covered form and heaved a great sigh. "I'm scared that MacPhearson was right."

Leena narrowed her eyes and tilted her head. "How so?"

"He implied that my relationship with Artie was based on sex, not love, and I'm afraid he was right." She glanced up at Leena. "I may be smart, and I may be clever, but what Artie likes best is how I look." Ghost-Claudia stared at the bed, throwing off wave after wave of sadness and despair. "Artie asked him to marry me when I was a normal-looking person," she whispered, hopelessness making her choke. "I'm no good to him now, don't you see? He won't want to marry a monster."

Leena pushed even deeper, feeling that she hadn't heard everything Claudia had to say. The wisp grimaced as a deeper wall broke down.

"I'm just a rock, Leena, plain, coarse and unimportant, but to Artie I'm a diamond. I shine for him. I've never shone for anyone before." She glanced at the form on the bed and gulped. "I'm not shiny anymore."

"Do you feel this way about Artie?" Leena asked quietly.

"No. Sex is just a small part of what I feel for him." The image shimmered, its edges losing their sharp definition. "I love him so much it frightens me."

"Don't you think Artie feels the same way about you?"

Claudia shook her head. "Men have only ever wanted one thing from me, and when I wasn't willing or able to give it, they left. Sometimes they took what they wanted by force, but they always left just the same." The image began to dissipate. "I don't want Artie to leave me, but I can't give him what he wants."

"What do you think he wants, Claudia?" Leena asked.

"For me to look normal." The form gave a final sigh before disappearing.

Artie was so eaten up by guilt and lost in his own thoughts that he jumped when Pete stood and reached out his hand.

"Truce?" the younger man said.

Artie looked him for a moment before taking his hand. "Truce." He looked at Pete suspiciously. "Why?"

Pete sighed. "I saw the look on your face when Myka told you what she had done. Up until that point, I thought you were deliberately hurting her by being so obvious with Claudia." A pained look crossed his face. "Like I was with Kelly."

"Ah." Artie nodded in understanding, finally getting the gist of what was going on. He steepled his fingers. "Making Myka jealous."

Pete slumped back into the kitchen chair. "I didn't know how badly it hurt her. When she didn't let on that nothing was wrong, I figured I would stay with Kelly, because I kind of loved her." He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table and his head on his hands, and sighed. "I am such an asshole."

Artie took the chance to break away from the conversation. "Well, I'm going to go check on Claudia." He got up from the table and paused. "You going to check on Myka?"

Pete nodded. "Yeah, I better. She gets lost in the dark when she's by herself."

Artie grimaced, knowing intimately what it was like to be a little frightened of your own company.

They got up when Claudia gave a shriek. Artie arrived at Claudia's room just in time to see her a ghostly version of her sitting on the bed. _How is it that I can see her? _Artie wondered incredulously before the answer dawned on him. _A deep read, of course! It's visible to everyone, not just Leena._

Artie heard and saw everything. His heart broke when Claudia spoke of how he only wanted her for sex and that she didn't shine for him anymore. _ After all this time, how could she even think that? _He choked back his tears, thinking of how she sounded so lost and alone. _You shine for me every day, Claudia._

Artie walked into the room as Claudia was waking up. She took one look at him and dove under the covers, shaking with fear and dread. He sat down on the edge of her bed, and Claudia scooted away as close to the wall as she could get, wrapping herself in her blanket so Artie couldn't see anything but her eyes.

Leena got up. "I think you two need some time alone." She smiled at Artie as she left, closing the door behind her.

Artie sat for a long time, thinking of what to say. _How on earth could she think I wouldn't love her anymore?_

Claudia broke the silence first, her voice semi-muffled by the blanket. "I don't have much moved into the new room, so it won't take me very long to bring it all back."

"Why would you need to?" Artie asked quietly.

"Because...because..." She squinted her eyes shut, willing the tears to go away and failing miserably. "I'm hideous." She began to shake. "Why would you stay with someone hideous?"

"Claudia, look at me." When she didn't comply, he added a hint of sharpness to his voice, an edge that always got her attention. "_Look at me_." She opened her eyes and faced him. "And take that blanket off your head." She hesitated but obeyed.

"Here I am, Artie." Her face was covered in reddish-black scars, and her head was dotted with large bald patches. "See me in all my glory," she snarked.

Artie scooted over the bed to her, blocking her only means of escape. He reached out a chubby hand to her and she pulled back, the blanket covering her face again, her eyes wide with fear. "What are you doing?"

He cupped a hand to her ruined face, and she shuddered a moment before leaning into it. "I'm reminded of a line from the Song of Asherah: 'The world I see beyond your pretty eyes makes me want to stay.' " He softly ran his thumb across her blanketed cheek.

Claudia moved over, leaning against him but still wrapped in her blanket. "How does the rest of it go?"

Artie softly crooned to her:

"And who can heal those tiny broken hearts,

And what are we to be?

Where is home on the lonely path of stars?

I dry my eyes again.

In my dreams I am not so far away from home.

What am I in a world so far away from home?

All my life, all the time so far away from home.

Without you I will be so far away from home."

When he was done singing, Artie leaned in, pulled the blanket down, and kissed her. He immediately drew back in pain. "Ow!" He felt his lip and was shocked to find a scar, angry and sore.

Claudia slunk back. "I'm sorry, Artie," she whispered in guilty horror. "They hurt me too." She touched her lips. "Except for where you kissed me." She looked at him in wonder. "That doesn't hurt anymore."

For a brief moment, Artie was stunned into silence. _Something was done for you, Arthur, something painful and brave_. He finally knew what he had to do. He stood up and began removing his clothing.

Claudia pulled her blanket tighter around her in alarm. "Artie, what are you doing?" His only response was to climb into her bed naked.

"Give me your blanket, Claudia."

She shook her head violently. "No fucking way, old man." Artie made a distasteful face at her swearing, but she didn't care. "You are not getting me out of this."

Artie raised one eyebrow and held up his right index finger. "Don't make me use this."

"You wouldn't."

"Watch me."

She narrowed her eyes at him, calling his bluff. "I dare you." Artie took his index finger, put it up to her armpit, and barely wiggled the tip. The effect was nothing short of shocking. She thrashed around wildly, desperate to get away from his evil tickling finger, but the only means of escape involved taking off her blanket.

"Alright, uncle, uncle!" she cried, giving in so he would stop. Artie pulled his finger back, gesturing for her to take the blanket off like a kidnapper would gesture with a gun. She sighed, resigned to her fate.

"There, are you happy now?" she said, tossing her blanket to the foot of the bed. "Are you happy that you got to see the monster?" Artie was speechless. _Oh Claudia_...

The scars covered her entire body, and there wasn't a square inch of skin that wasn't marred in some way. The places where the tree bark had removed chunks of flesh looked red and painful. He had no idea how she had not died of a massive infection with all her open wounds. "Oh honey..." He touched her shoulder and drew his hand back with a painful hiss. He now bore a mark on his shoulder too, and she was startled to find that hers didn't hurt anymore.

"I don't think you should touch me anymore," she said in a scared whisper.

"Claudia, look at me." She turned to face him. "I want you to know that I love you."

"Oh, Artie," she said, unaccustomed to him stating his feeling so openly. "I love you too."

He shook his head. "No, you don't understand. I love you with every fiber of my being." He leaned in close, their noses almost touching. He lowered his voice into an angry growl. "And don't you ever, _ever_ think that any change in your appearance would make a difference to me." He looked deeply into her eyes. "You are going to be Mrs. Claudia Nielson, and to me, you shine brighter than the sun."

Her breath caught in her chest. "I love you so much, Artie."

He gave her a crooked smile. "And I love you, Claudia."

She had no warning when he reached out and embraced her.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: The only thing I own is the plot**.

Pain. Burning, searing, stabbing, throbbing pain was the only thing that existed in Artie's world. His skin felt like it had been cut in a thousand places and set on fire. He howled in agony, writhing on the bed as scar after scar appeared on his skin, copying Claudia's wounds exactly.

Waves of energy flowed out from Claudia into him, carrying her pain with it. She gasped with each pulse as the power of the tree surged through her solar plexus into his. She fought him, desperate to push him away, but it was no use. Artie's arms were locked tightly around her, refusing to let go.

The pulses got stronger as the worst of the scars erupted from Artie's flesh. She could only grunt as each powerful energy wave crested, feeling like she was being turned inside out. She glanced around wildly, looking for anything that would make Artie let go before she lost consciousness and with it the ability to stop him.

One final wave more powerful than all the rest surged through her, and for a brief moment Claudia was in freefall, her mind hovering in the space between their bodies. A pulling sensation not unlike gravity crept over her, and suddenly she was slammed back into her own body with enough force to knock her away from Artie's embrace.

Claudia hit the floor hard, the wind knocked out of her. Leena burst into the room as Claudia instinctively curled into a fetal position and gasped repeatedly, refilling her lungs bit by bit with sweet life-giving air.

Leena fell to her knees beside Claudia, helping the younger woman up so she could breathe easier. She cupped Claudia's smooth face to get her attention. "Claudia, what happened?" Leena grabbed her scar-less shoulders and shook her. "Claudia!"

Claudia looked down at herself and saw that she was whole again. She began to cry, great panicky sobs that made her breathing even more difficult. "Artie...held me...wouldn't...let go...took...pain..." Her face collapsed in guilt.

Leena stood and went to examine Artie. He was unconscious on Claudia's bed, his skin as marred as hers had been. _I wonder if you knew you would take more than just her pain, Artie. _She sighed heavily. _ I don't suppose it would have mattered either way, would it? _Leena reached out and softly touched the tree bark growing over the wounds. _MacPhearson's not here to sever your connection from the tree like he did hers. _She gently touched his forehead and frowned. _We don't have as much time to plant you, my friend._

Claudia stood, her legs shaky and her knees wobbly. She stumbled to the bed and sat down, her eyes never leaving Artie's form. She reached out a hand to touch him, and he whimpered slightly as she softly grazed her fingers on the tree bark that was spreading like a cancer. "Leena, why did he do this?" she whispered in a shaky voice.

"Because he loves you, Claudia, more than he loves his own life." Leena paused, weighing her next words. "Artie was going to go to the Asherah tree for an apple for your wedding, but MacPhearson warned him not to. He said that something 'painful and brave' and been done for Artie, and that Artie had to settle that debt before he could approach the tree." _Don't ask me, Claudia, please don't ask me..._

"What was done for him that would necessitate something as brutal as this?"

Leena closed her eyes and inwardly groaned. She took a deep breath. "Do you remember when both of you were downstairs in the recovery rooms?"

Claudia snorted. "How could I forget?" she answered bitterly.

"During that time, Artie went through a period where he thought you hated him because you never came to see him."

Claudia choked back her astonishment. "You can't be serious."

Leena nodded. "Quite serious. When it was at its worst, when we feared Artie might very well die, Myka put on Harriett Tubman's thimble and made one visit to him in reassurance that you didn't hate him." She drew a blanket over Artie's naked form. "She saved his life that day."

"But, I don't get it," Claudia said, shaking her head in confusion. "Why was it such a big deal?"

Pete and Myka walked into the room. "Because I was in love with him," Myka said matter-of-factly.

"_What?" _Claudia was in shock. Shock quickly faded to anger when she stood up. "I was across the hall sick, and you took the opportunity to impersonate me and get some on the side?" Claudia trembled with fury.

Myka held her ground. "I didn't impersonate you so I could get a quick fuck, Claudia," she snapped.

The younger woman's fury was dissipated by surprise. She had never heard Myka speak that way. She sat back down on the bed. "Why?"

Myka gave a humorless chuckle. "I loved him enough to want him to be happy, even if it wasn't with me. I put on the thimble and took your form so Artie could see that the woman he loved above all others didn't hate him." Her voice dripped with self-loathing. "I saved the man I loved so he could be with the woman he loved." Pete sat down in a nearby chair and pulled Myka onto his lap. He held her in silence, rubbing her back and playing with her hair with his fingers as she stared off into the distance, lost in her thoughts. She finally looked at him and smiled before resting her head on his chest.

Claudia stood and went over to the chair. "I'm sorry, Myka," she whispered. She felt terrible at how badly she had misjudged her friend. Myka gave her a small smile and squeezed her hand.

Taking a deep breath, Claudia turned to Leena and squared her shoulders. "Okay, so now we know why Artie did what he did. The question now is, how do we help him?"

Leena turned to Artie, her face contorted with sorrow. "I'm sorry, Claudia. There is no helping him."

"What?" Claudia stood in disbelief. "Of course there's something we can do! There's always something we can do!"

Artie coughed, rising to consciousness for just a moment. "Claudia," he groaned, waving her to him. She ran over to her bed.

"How can we fix it, Artie? How can we save you?"

Artie slowly shook his head. "There is no saving me. I have to be planted by the Asherah tree."

Claudia's face went white. "You're just not thinking because you're sick. Come on, Artie, think. What item in the Warehouse can stop this?"

He simply shook his head. "Nothing can fix this." He coughed as the tree bark slowly spread over his chest.

Claudia began to panic. "Artie, it's going to be okay. I'll find a way, you just stay there." She got up to move, but Artie clamped his hand down on hers, his eyes wide with fear.

"Don't go anywhere, Claud." His cough had gotten progressively worse, making him fight for every breath he took. "I want you to be the last thing I see."

Claudia leaned over, her hands on either side of his face. "Please don't leave me, Artie." Tears ran down her cheeks and dripped onto the spreading tree bark. "Everyone I love leaves me." Her breath caught in her chest. "Please?" she begged.

Artie pulled in a rasping breath. "I can't help it. I'm going somewhere, baby." He reached up his hand, pulled her face to his, and gazed into her eyes. "I love you, Claudia, with all my heart..." He fell back to the bed, unconscious.

Claudia thought she would sob harder, but her tears dried almost instantly. In a moment of clarity that one only encounters when one's worst nightmare has come true, she knew what to do. She got up from the bed, wrapped herself in another blanket, and said, "I'm going to the tree."

Claudia stood before the tree, uncertain as to how to proceed. She had ignored everyone's protests, and It had seemed like the proper thing to do, but now that she was here, she had no idea how to begin. After a moment, she cleared her throat and said, "Asherah tree, I would like an apple, please."

Nothing.

She tried again, feeling self-conscious from talking to herself. "Asherah tree, please give me an apple."

No air was stirring, not even a gentle breeze, but the tree began to sway, its leaves rustling together to make a sound. _"Only men have ever approached the tree."_

Claudia was startled. She hadn't expected the tree to speak to her, but she also hadn't expected the voice to be so, well, _leafy_. "I come on behalf of a man."

"_What sort of coward makes his woman approach the tree?_"

Claudia gritted her teeth, angry at the tree for calling Artie a coward and then then feeling foolish for getting angry at a tree. "He is no coward. He is dying from saving my life, and I need an apple to save his."

"_Why did he not approach me for an apple first?"_

She struggled to remember what Leena had told her. "He did not approach because he was told that something painful and brave had been done for him, and that he had to repay that debt before he could come to you." She was getting used to talking _with_ the tree instead of _to_ it.

_"So he saved your life simply to repay a debt? That does not warrant an apple." _The branches stopped swaying.

"But, but you don't understand! What he did was very brave! He did it out of love for me!"

The tree was motionless.

Claudia began to seriously panic. If she couldn't get an apple from the tree, Artie would die. What would she do without him? Who would she snark at? Who would drive her insane with endless lectures on mundane items? Who would hold her when she woke up from nightmares too terrible to describe? Who would comfort her, kiss her, love her, and allow her to love in return? Who would let her open her mind and her heart and be delighted by what was there? Who would make her feel like she really mattered in the world? _Who would make her shine?_

She fell to her knees, not caring if her blanket got ruined by leaves and dirt. She spread her arms wide, tears streaming down her face. "Please, tree, I beg you, please give me an apple to save Artie's life. Please let me save him. I love him." She put her face in her hands and sobbed. "Please don't take him away from me. I'll do anything you ask, anything."

Her heart jumped when she heard the leaves begin to rustle. _"The price may be higher than you are willing to pay."_

She stood up and brushed herself off. "Name it."

The leaves rustled a moment as if the tree was thinking. _"In order to save his life, you must bind yours to it. His lifespan will be your lifespan. You will be alive only so long as he is."_

"I'll be alive only as long as he is?" Claudia gulped, her mind racing. _Artie is sixty-three years old. That would mean...oh God..._

_"If the price is too high..." _The tree's branches began to slow down.

"Wait!" Claudia reached out to the tree. She didn't think through her decision; her only thought was, even if it means that I'll be alive just one more day, it will be one more day with Artie. "I agree to your price. My lifespan will be bound to his."

A heavy orb dropped into her hands. Claudia had expected a red apple, but the outside of the one she held was a bright shiny gold. _"Feed him one half of the apple and eat the rest yourself. As you swallow the last bite, the deal will be struck." _The tree's branches stopped moving.

Leena jumped when the downstairs door slammed shut. She heard someone rustling in the knife drawer, a triumphant "A-ha!" and then rapid feet up the stairs.

Claudia burst into the room, out of breath and flushed. She walked to the bed, carefully slicing an apple into thin slivers. Leena craned her neck to see what she had. "What is that?"

Claudia grinned like the Cheshire cat as she continued slicing the fruit. "It's an apple from the Asherah tree."

Leena's heart fell in foreboding. "Claudia, how did you get it?"

The younger woman looked at her as if she were a simpleton. "Duh, where do you think I got it?" She sat beside Artie on her bed. "I went to the tree myself." She dropped a thin slice into Artie's mouth, and even though he was unconscious, he chewed the piece of apple, swallowed it, and opened his mouth for more. Claudia fed him in this manner until half the fruit was gone. She sliced off pieces of the golden apple and began eating them herself.

When she got to the last piece, Leena said quietly, "The deal hasn't been struck yet, Claudia. There's still time to stop." At that, Claudia raised the final piece of apple into the air, dropped it in her mouth, chewed it up, and swallowed. Leena closed her eyes in resignation.

Claudia had expected something to happen, to somehow feel different, but nothing changed after she ate the last piece of apple. She was wondering if she had done something wrong when Artie began to tremble. His eyes flew open and he sat up, the tree bark falling away into ash and leaving fresh new skin in its place.

Letting out a whoop of victory, Claudia leaped onto her bed, straddling a very confused but very healthy Artie. He pulled back from her and cupped her face. "Claudia, what...when...how...?" His questions were silenced by a hearty kiss from the redhead in his lap. He pulled back from the kiss and beamed at Claudia, smiling in amazement. "However did you fix it?"

Claudia's grin faltered.

Leena had left the room to give them some time alone. "You really don't want to know," she said in a frightened whisper as she closed the door behind her.


	7. Chapter 7

Artie raised his hand in worry as Claudia's smile fell. He touched her cheek, his thumb ghosting along her bottom lip. "My clever girl," he whispered, a touch of awe in his voice.

Claudia grasped Artie's wrist and held it in place, firmly pressing her cheek into his large, warm hand. She wanted to remember what it was like for him to reach out to her in love; she wasn't sure if he would ever do so again. "Artie, you're not gonna like this…"

His thumb froze in place, mirroring the stillness that had suddenly gripped his heart. He knew that tone; he knew it well from years of her taking apart priceless artifacts and not getting them put back together quite right. "Claudia," he growled, his hand turning her to face him. "What did you do?"

Tears ran down Claudia's reddened cheeks as she began to shake slightly. "Please don't hate me, Artie."

Something was seriously wrong. A feeling of dread pooled in Artie's guts, and he pulled his hand from Claudia's neck in order to grab her shoulders. He leaned forward, his eyes flashing. "What. Did. You. Do," he snarled.

Claudia was becoming hysterical. This was going downhill fast, and everything came out in a jumbled mess when she snapped. "You were dying, Artie, _dying_! It was a last resort; I had to save you! I couldn't let you die, Artie, when it was my fault and I could save you." She faced him, leaning into the hands still on her shoulders, her voice bleating. "It was me; I was the only one left. Don't you see that I had to do it?" She rose up on her knees, wide-eyed and crazy. "Tell me that you see that, old man, you have to see!"

Artie was now truly frightened. He had no idea what was happening to his Claudia. He switched his voice to the one he used when he soothed her nightmares hoping it would trigger a subconscious reaction and break her rising paranoia. "Claudia, stop." He rubbed the back of her neck softly, his thumbnail grazing the spot behind her ear that always made her shudder. "I see, Claudia, I see that you had to help me." He kept rubbing her neck until she shaking stopped. "That's better, now, isn't it?"

Claudia nodded and sniffed, embarrassed by her tears. "Yeah," she croaked, her head bowed. Artie continued rubbing her neck softly until she relaxed and sat back.

"Now Claudia," Artie began, his voice comforting and smooth. "Tell me how you fixed me." He gave her the crooked smile he knew she loved so dearly.

In a croaked whisper, she said, "I got an apple from the Asherah tree."

"You did what?" he gasped, scarcely believing her words. _Dear God. Please, oh please, tell me I misheard her._

Claudia grabbed a tissue from the nightstand and blew her nose loudly in order to compose herself. She had bluffed her way out of worse situation; maybe she could still save her ass now. _Yeah right, like he'll believe me after I cried like a damn baby._ "I said, I got you an apple from the Asherah tree." She tossed the tissue at the trashcan, missed, and left it there. "Hey, you know, it was really no trouble—"

"BULLSHIT!"

Stunned into silence for a moment, Claudia sat wide-eyed, her mouth slightly open. "Geez, Artie, cuss much?"

Artie quickly stood up, knocking Claudia off-balance and back onto the bed. His eyes flashing and his teeth bared, he pointed a pudgy finger and snarled, "What did you promise the tree?"

"What…how did you..?" Claudia stuttered.

"I'm the top fucking agent of the Warehouse, Claudia!" he yelled, stepping towards her menacingly. "I know everything there is to know about the goddamn monstrosities in that building. I know their effects, and I know how they work, including their drawbacks." He sighed, rubbing his hand down his face and beard. The anger instantly drained out of him; sometimes he was so _tired_ of the Warehouse. He held his hands out. "Please, just tell me, Claudia, what did you promise the tree in exchange for an apple?"

Claudia shrunk into the corner and gulped. "I – I promised the tree that your lifespan would be the same as mine. When you die I will too."

Artie's face fell. He had known the apple would come with a hefty price, but he had never imagined something like this. He stepped backwards and fell into a chair, his weight slumping all at once. After a few silent minutes, he looked towards the corner where the love of his life huddled in fear of him. "Claudia," he croaked, holding out a hand pleadingly, "how could you do this?"

Claudia edged out of the corner, slowly coming forward yet leaving enough room between her and Artie that she could run if she had to. "I love you, Artie," she said softly, "and I didn't want you to die."

Artie shook his head sadly. "Don't you get it, Claudia? It's not about me, it's about the Warehouse." He sighed. "Your first priority should be to protect the Warehouse, not me. How could you do this?"

"It's not her fault, Arthur." Mrs. Frederic stepped into the room, her shoes a hard, somber sound upon the old wooden floor. "This has all been part of my plan."

Artie froze, is eyes glancing back and forth between his employer and his fiancé. "What plan did you two harpies hatch?"

"Careful how you speak, Arthur. For your information, Claudia knew nothing."

"Ha!" Claudia made a nasty face and stuck out her tongue at Artie. He glared her tongue back into her mouth.

"It's time that some of the pieces were revealed, Arthur. The Muses have notified me that it's time you two were apprised of the current situation."

Claudia spoke first, her curiosity piqued. "What situation?"

Mrs. Frederic glanced between the other two in the room. "Two months ago, a new statue appeared in the Shrine of the Muses. They've never had a new statue before; all the Muses were created simultaneously."

Artie gave her a questioning look. "Who does the statue look like?"

Mrs. Frederic fixed Artie with a piercing glare. "You."


End file.
